Orientation mechanism



July 7, 1953 J. w. HoRToN ETAL 2,644,244

ORIENTATION MECHANISM md Aprirs, 194s 2 sheets-sheet 1 BY ZTRM/Q July 7 1953 J. w. Hom-oN ETAL 2,644,244

ORIENTATION MECHANISM med Apriylfs, 1943 2' sheets-sheet 2 INVENTORS .Z/neef Hoera/v ,90.9.6270 4/55 TORNEY Patented July 7, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-lcs ORIENTATION MECHANISM Joseph Warren Horton, Ipswch,rand Robert A. Wagner, Worcester, Mass., assignors to the United States of America. as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application April 9, 1943, Serial No. 482,500

7 Claims. (C1. 33-226) l This invention relates to the control of trainable devices on ships or other carriers and to a bearing indicator therefor. It is desirable that the operator of such a device which may include,

by Wayof example rather than limitation, underwater sound projectors and receivers, directional antennae, search lights, guns, etc., shall be able to alter its orientation at will and that it shall otherwise be controlled automatically. The ob- ,.ject, generally stated, is to simplify the control mechanism. Specifically the invention provides a compact gearing and dial arrangement which enters into the control of the trainable device and gives accurate and readily observable indications of the ships orientation and of the true and relative bearings of the trainable device.

Wherethe Atrainable .device is to be trained on a moving or relatively obscure target, it is diflicult to bring it to bear upon the target, and still -more difficult to keep it trained upon the target.

be able to read the true bearing of the ship itself so' that he will be continuously informed of changes in the ships course.

When the steering of the ship and the training of the` device are both accomplished by remotely-controlled motor drives, it is apparent that a time', delay will be involved in both cases between actuation of the control means and actual changes Vin orientation. The mechanism of the invention is therefore arranged to be actuated not directly by the control handle, compass and trainable device as they turn on the ship but byr driving means which respond to such turning movements.

In the training indicators now commonly employed there is provision for reading the relative bearing of the trainable device by means of a fixed azimuth scale and a train indicator, but the true bearing can be determined only by reading a course repeater and the train indicator simultaneously. It is thus of the greatest importance that operators be thoroughly drilled in keeping on the approximately truebearing of the target during the changes in the ships course. Failure `of operators yto keep the trainable device on the true bearing of the target is one of the most frequent causes of lostcontact Awith the target;

In the case of certain trainable devices to which the invention is particularly applicable, it requires a statistical comparison of an appreciable number of settings to determine the bearing. The correct bearing can be determined only by trial and error; it necessitates the comparison of a number of observations, each of which must be associated with a position on the true bearing scale.

With such prior equipment the'true bearing ofthe trainable device is a function of the shipsheading as Well as of the adjustment of the training control. has to be made in terms of a moving true bearing scale, controlled by the ships gyrocompass.

It is essential that the operator constantly keepl this moving scale under observation and that heV manipulate the training control in such manner,v as to swing the bearing indicator over some signi cant portion. This, then, imposes two burdens` on him; one of observation and one of manipulation. This lessens the effective accuracy of the equipment, and increases the time required'tor obtain significant bearing readings and the diffi. culty of retaining a target once it has been lo-f cated.

With such equipment there is no certain rela-r tion between the angle through which the training control wheel is displaced and the resulting angle through which the trainable device is moved relative to the target. It Would be preferable` if the operator could know that some given anguw lar motion of the control wheel ywould result in some definite change in the orientation of the trainable device.

In the training control mechanism in accord-N ance with the invention, the repeater from the ships compass, as well as the manually operated control are connected to separately movable elef heading, whether resulting from a change inY course or from yawing, causes an equal and opposite relative motion of the trainable device andy thus preserves a fixed true bearing. The manual control, therefore, becomes a control of truef rather than of relative, bearing. The operator can now make some desired change in true bearing by rotating the control wheel through a predetermined angle, without having to wat-ch either the bearing scales or the control wheel. The design is preferably so chosen that one revolution of the control wheel causes the true bearingof A the trainable device to change ve degrees. This has been found to be a convenient relation, both for initial" searching and for obtaining the nec- The statistical averaging, therefore,-

essary statistical average once the target has been located.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are a plan and an elevation in section, respectively, of one form of mechanism according to the invention and Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of the movable elements of the mechanism shown as somewhat fanciful racks and linkages instead of the actual gears used, the purpose of such showing being to assist in an understanding of the operation,

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, I is a ring calibrated in degrees and secured to the casing in which the device is mounted and therefore stationary with respect to the ship or any other mobile structure upon which the mechanism is mounted. Within the ring I there is a disc 2, also calibrated in degrees, and arranged to be angularly actuated by the ships compass through tubular shaft 36 as explained below. The reading on the ring of the angular position of the mark on the disc gives the ships true bearing at all times since the outside ring is in effect a dummy compass card.

Riding over calibrated disc 2 there is a pointer 3 actuated by the hand-wheel 25 which the operator turns to initiate changes in the orientation of the trainable device. Operation of the handwheel also actuates arm 4 of the follow-up device which, in the structure described, is a balanced bridge potentiometer 5. When potentiometer 5 is thus unbalanced it causes the motor which rotates the trainable device to operate. This motor is not a part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 but the repeater motor 12 which is operated by the motor for rotating the trainable device is there shown. The rotation of the trainable device is transmitted back to internal gear 1, by means described below which, as Will be explained, restores the balance of potentiometer 5.

Rotatable plate 8 is connected by hollow shaft 36 to resistance element 6 of potentiometer 5 and carries pinions 9 and I8 on jack-shaft II. Pinion 9 engages internal gear 1 while pinion I 0 engages gear I2. Pinions 9 and I0 constitute a planetary pair by which plate 8 is rotated by either internal gear 1 or gear I2, or by both simultaneously. Worm I4 is connected to be rotated by a repeater motor 1I operating from the ships gyro-compass. Gyro-compass systems and repeaters therefor are well known and hence the gyra-compass and its transmitter for telemetering the change in bearing to the repeater 1I have not been shown in Fig. 2. Worm I4 thus drives gear I5 and also gear I2 since both gears are xedly mounted on a common sleeve I6.

As the ship changes its course, the repeater motor for the ships gyro-compass turns gear I2 and rotates plate 8 through pinion I0, thus rotating resistance element 6 of potentiometer 5 and unbalancing the potentiometer 5. This in turn operates the motor which rotates the trainable device to turn it in a manner to compensate for the turning of the ship. As the trainable device is rotated, its motion is transmitted back to internal gear 1 which produces opposite rotation of plate 8 to bring resistance element 6 of potentiometer 5 to rest at the balanced position when the trainable device has been restored to its original bearing.

When arm 4 of potentiometer 5 is rotated by the operator to change the bearing of the trainable device, the rotation of the device, transmitted back to internal gear 1, operates through pinion 8 to rotate plate 8 and resistance element 6 of potentiometer 5 to restore the balance of the potentiometer when the trainable device has been rotated to the desired new position as indicated by pointer 3.

The arrangement is such that When potentiometer resistance element 6 is in the balanced position its angular position with respect to ring I corresponds to the orientation of the trainable device, regardless of the true bearing of the ship. Thus pointer I3 which is connected to potentiometer resistance element 6 and plate 8 through a sleeve 36 indicates by reference to ring I the true bearing of the trainable device and, except during the brief interval required to change the orientation of the device, pointer I3 coincides with pointer 3.

Still referring to Figs. 1 and 2, worm I 4 as previously explained is connected to the ships gyrorepeater and drives worm-gear I5 which is mounted on sleeve I6 to which are also fixed gears I2 and I1. By suitable choice of its ratio with Worm I4, worm-gear I 5 is arranged to rotate relative to the frame of the device through twice the angle through which the ship turnsand in the same sense. J ack-shaft I8, which carries pinions I9 and 20, turns in bearing 2| in plate 22, which is part of the frame of the mechanism. Pinion I9 meshes with gear I1 and has a 2 to 1 step up ratio with it. Gear 23 meshes with pinion 20 and has a 4 to 1 step down ratio with it. Gear 23 is connected to disc 2 by sleeve 24, and by reason of the ratios just described, disc 2 turns relative to the dial through the same angle as that executed by the ship and in the same sense,

Pinions 9 and I0 have 1 to 3 step up ratios to internal gear 1 and gear I2, respectively, although any other convenient equal ratios could be employed. Thus, if internal gear 1 is stationary, plate 8 will be turned through one half the angle executed by gear I2 and in the same sense. Similarly, if gear I 2 is stationary, plate 8 will be turned through half the angle executed by internal gear 1 and in the same sense. As already explained, gear I2 is turned through twice the angular change in the ships course and in the same sense by the gyro-repeater. Similarly, internal gear 1 is turned through twice the angle through which the trainable device turns on the ship and in the same sense. Thus plate 8 is maintained in a position with respect to the ring I corresponding to the true bearing of the trainable device, which bearing may thus be read directly upon calibrated ring I by means of pointer I3.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, handwheel 25 (omitted in Fig. 1) drives shaft 26 through sprockets 21 and 28 and chain 29. Worm 30 on shaft 26 drives worm-wheel 3I on shaft 32 on which are mounted arm 4 of potentiometer 5, and pointer 3. Shaft 32 is journaled in bearing 33 in plate 34 which is part of the frame of the mechanism, and is supported at its upper end by sleeve 35. Tubular shaft 36 is journaled in bearing 31 on plate 38 which is part of the frame of the mechanism. Tubular shaft 36 carries resistance element 6 of potentiometer 5, plate 8 and pointer I3. Internal gear 1 is supported on plate 39 which has a hub 40 on which is mounted wormgear 4I, which in turn engages worm 42 driven by a repeater motor 12 whose rotation is controlled by rotation of the trainable device. Hub 4D is journaled upon an extension 43 of bearing 31. Sleeve I6 carrying worin-Wheel I5 and gears I2 and I 1 turns freely on bearing 44 which is secured to plate 22.

It will be noted that the disc 2 has an approximate outline of the ships hull engraved upon its upper surface to enable the ,operator to visualize the situation at any instant without regard to the true bearing of the ship itself. The relation of pointers 3 and I3 to the outline of the ship provides a virtual picture of the position of the trainable device with respect to the ship. Assuming that the zero mark at the top of the scale on ring I represents north, then, as shown in Fig. 1: (1) the ships course is due north, as indicated by the ships outline, (2) the desired bearing for the trainable device is 250, which is 20 south of due west, as indicated by the pointer 3, (3) the immediate bearing of the trainable device is due West, as indicated by the pointer I3, (4) the potentiometer is unbalanced by (5) the motor for rotating the trainable device (not shown) is energized and is turning the trainable device to the left, (6) when the trainable device has turned on the ship to thedesired bearing the motor will stop and the pointer I3 will be in alinement with pointer 3, (7) the orientation of the trainable device Will then be at 250 and (8) the indication of this orientation by the pointers 3 and I3 on the ring I will persist until the trainable device is again influenced to bear in a different direction by turning the hand-wheel.

When the operator is not turning the handwheel, it is only the change in the orientation of the ship that can change the appearance of the dial face, and such change in appearance is evidenced merely by the angular displacement of the disc 2. Thus whenever the operator needs to know it, the ktrue bearing of the ship is apparent. The operator, however, is primarily concerned with the true bearing of the trainable device as shown by the pointer I3.

When the operator turns the hand-wheel, pointer 3, being controlled thereby, moves immediately to a new position on ring I, thus indicating in advance the new bearing desired for thef trainable device, whereupon the pointer I3 follows ralong and comes vto rest with the pointer I3 in alinement with the pointer 3.

The several gear movements may be briefly summarized as follows:

For indicating the orientation of the shipgears I5 and I1, driven by the ships gyro-compass repeater, turn in the same sense as and, relative to the frame of the device, through twice the angle of the ships turning movement or (2s) where s represents a given angle of turning of the ship. Pinions I 9 and 20 turn in the opposite sense to and through twice the angle of movement of gears I5 and I1, (-2). Gear 23 and disc 2 turn in the opposite sense to and through one fourth the angle of movement of gears I9 and 20, 1/4), and, therefore, in the same sense as and, relative to the frame and ring I, through thesame angie as that of the ships turning movement. 'I'he product of these factors (2s) 2) 1/4) =s. The ship outline on disc 2 thus indicates on the scale of xed ring I the orientation of the ship.

For indicating the true bearing of the trainable device- Gears I5 and I2 turn in the same sense as and through twice the angle of the ships turningA movement, (2s). Platev 8, which carries the planetary pair, the pinions 9 and I0, potentiomi eter 5 and pointer I3 turn in the same sense as and through half the angular movement of gears I5 and I2, (l/A). The resulting unbalance of the potentiometer causes the motor for the trainable device to turn the trainable device in a, reverse.

direction to the turning movement of the ship and through the same angle. Thereupon gears 4I and 1 turn in the opposite sense to and through twice the angle through which the potentiometer had turned, 4(2s). This causes the potentiometer to turn inthe same sense as and through half the angular movement of the gears 4I and 1, (1/2) The algebraic sum of these movements, (2s) (1/2)-I(-2s) (1/2)=0. Thepointer I3 thus tends to remain in its initial position on the scale of ring I, indicating the same bearing of the trainable device as before the ship began its turning movement.

Fora better understanding of the operation of the mechanism of the invention, reference is made to Fig. 3 which is a diagrammatic representation wherein some of the gears of the mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2 have been replaced by levers having essentially the same action, and wherein some of the rotary motions of Figs. 1 and 2 are represented by translatory motions.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, ring I is represented by bar 45, disc 2 by plate 46, pointer 3 by pointer 41 and pointer I3 by pointer 48. Resistance element 6 of potentiometer 5 is shown diagrammatically at 49 and contact member 4 is shown diagrammatically at 50. The shaft 32, worm-wheel 3|, worm 30 and jack-shaft 26, sprocket 28, chain 29, and sprocket 21 by which contact arm 4 and pointer 3 are rotated in unison are represented in Fig. 3 by rack 5I and pinion 52 to which latter the hand-wheel 25 may be assumed to be attached.

Rack 53 represents worm-wheel I5 and gears I2 and I1, while pinion 54 represents worm I4, and is assumed to be driven by the ships gyrocompass. Similarly, rack 55 represents wormwheel 4I and internal gear 1, while pinion 56 represents worm 42 and is shown mechanically connected to the training motor shown diagrammatically at 51. 51 may be taken to represent either the repeater motor 12, Fig. 2, the motor for rotating the trainable device (not shown in Fig. 2) or both since one follows the other. Lever 58 represents pinions I9 and 20, is fulcrumed at its lower end 59, connected at its mid-point 60 to plate 46 and at its upper end 6I to rack 53. Rack 53 and pinion 54 are so chosen that the motion of rack 53 corresponds to twice the angular motion of the ship. Lever 58 reduces the motion of rack 53 as applied to plate 46, so that plate 46 moves an amount equivalent to the angular motion of the ship.

The two equal sections 62 and 63 of the lever at the right in the diagram, Fig. 3, shown as pivotally connected at 64 to rack 53 and at 65 to rack 55, respectively, and at its mid-point E6 to an arm 51, represent the planetary gear train I0-9, Fig. 2, which are driven by the gears I2 and 1. The arm E1 represents the plate yIi and operates to move the potentiometer resistance element 49 to the right or left when acted upon by an angular rocking movement of the lever B2, 63 upon the turning of one or the other of the pinions 54, 56.

Also shown in Fig. 3 is a simplified diagram of the circuits of the resistance element 49 and the relation thereof to the motor 51 and a divided source 68 of direct current. The two sections of the resistance 49 and the two sections of the source of current 68 are in the four arms of a Wheatstone bridge. A control, or relay, box

69, the output of which extends to the motor 51,

is in the bridge arm. The motor is thus energized t turn the-trainable device vin one angu-v lar direction or the other according to the right or left position of the contact 50 on the resistance 49 when away from its balanced or neutral position.

By reference t0 Fig. V3 is will be easily noted that when the ship is not turning and rack 55 is stationary any turning of the hand-wheel Will cause rack to be moved thereby causing contact 50 to slide into `contact with one section or the other of the resistance 49. This unbalances the potentiometer whereupon direct current flows from the source 68 through the bridge arm into the control box 69 in the proper direction to turn the motor 51 and the trainable device and pinion 56 and to move the rack 55 laterally. This causes the lever 62, 63 to rock on 64 as a pivot and the arm 61 to move one half as far as the rack 55 to bring the resistance 49 again into balance with the new position of the contact 50.

Reversely, when the hand-wheel and rack 5I are stationary, the turning of the ship causes rack 53 to move laterally. As stated, plate 46 thereupon moves one half as far as the rack. AtV

the same time lever 62, 63 is rocked on 65 as a pivot and arm 61 is moved half as far as the rack 53. This likewise unbalances the potentiometer and again excites motor 51 whereupon rack 55 rocks the lever 62, 63 on 64 as its pivot in the angular direction opposite to that just caused by the rack 53 t0 restore the resistance element 49 to its balanced condition.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

1. A control and indicating apparatus for use on a carrier having a trainable device, motor means for turning said device in either azimuthal angular direction and a compass, comprising an electrical system for energizing said motor means including a potentiometer having cooperating angularly adjustable resistance and contact members and having a balanced condition in which said motor means is inactive and two unbalanced conditions in which said motor means is caused to turn said trainable device in either of the two angular directions respectively, manual means to adjust one of said potentiometer members, a graduated scale, a movable element related to said scale to indicate the true bearing of said carrier, a second movable elementV related to said scale and connected to move in synchronism with the other of said potentiometer members to indicatethe true bearing of said device, a repeater governed by said compass for controlling the adjustment of the rst mentioned movable element, a second repeater governed by said trainable device, and a differential mechanism under the joint control of said repeaters and in turn controlling the adjustment of the other of said potentiometer members.

2. A control and indicating apparatus for use on a carrier having a trainable device, motor` means for turning said device in either azimuthal angular direction and a compass, comprising an electrical system for energizing said motor means including circuit closing means having cooperating independently adjustable members and having a neutral condition in which said motor means is inactive and two conditions in which said motor means is caused to turn said trainable device in either of the two directions re' spectvely, manual means to adjust one of said members, a graduated scale, a movable element element related to said scale to indicate the true related to said scale to indicate the true bearing of said carrier, a second movable element related to said scale and connected to move in synchronism with the other of said adjustable members to indicate the true bearing of said device, a repeater governed by said compass for controlling the adjustment of the rst mentioned movable element, a second repeater governed by said trainable device, and a differential mechanism under the joint control of said repeaters and in turn controlling the adjustment of the said other adjustable member.

3. A control and indicating apparatus for use on a carrier having a trainable device, motor means for turning said device in either azimuthal angular direction and a compass, comprising an electrical system for energizing said motor means including circuit closing means having two independently adjustable cooperating members and having a neutral condition in which said motor means is inactive and two other conditions in which said motor means is caused to turn said device in either of the two angular directions respectively, manual means to adjust one of said members, agraduated scale, a movable element related to said scale to indicate the true bearing of said carrier, a second movable element related to said scale and connected to move in synchronism with the other of said members to indi-1 cate the true bearing of said device, a third movable element related to said scale and connected to move in synchronism with the member adjustable by said manual means to indicate the desired bearing of said device, a repeater governed by said compass for controlling the adjustment of the rst mentioned movable element, a

second repeater governed by said trainable device, and a diierential mechanism under the joint control of said repeaters and in turn controlling the adjustment of said other member.

4. A control and indicating apparatus for use on a carrier having a trainable device and a compass, comprising a graduated scale, a movable element related to said scale to indicate the true bearing of said carrier, a second movable bearing of said device, a third movable element related to said scale, manual means to adjustv saidthird movable element to indicate the de- :sired beai'ing of said device, driving means governed by said compass for controlling the adjustment of the first mentioned movable ele-- ment, driving means governed by said trainable device, a differential mechanism governed by lboth of said driving means for controlling the adjustment of said second movable element, and electrical means including a motor jointly controlled by said manual means and said differential mechanism to adjust the bearing of said device.

5. Apparatus for maintaining a trainable device at a constant true bearing irrespective of a change in bearing of a carrier for said devicecomprising, means including a manual control member for rotating the trainable device in azimuth to a selected true bearing, means responsive to a predetermined change in bearing in one direction of said carrier to actuate said means for rotating the trainable device to rotate the latter by an amount equal to the change in bearing of said carrier but in the opposite sense vwhereby the true bearing of the trainable device is maintained constant, a stationary ring bearing compass graduations, a disc member having bearing graduations, means for rotating 4said disc,

member relative to said ring in accordance with changes in bearing of said carrier to indicate true bearingy a first pointer rotatable with said trainable device over said ring and disc member to indicate respectively both the true bearing of said trainable device and its bearing relative to that of said carrier, and a second pointer rotatable by said manual control member over said disc member to indicate a newly selected true bearing for said device.

6. Apparatus for maintaining a trainable device at a constant true bearing irrespective of a change in bearing of a carrier for said device comprising, means including a manual control member for rotating the trainable device in azimuth to a selected true bearing, means responsive to a predetermined change in bearing in one direction of said carrier to ac-tuate said means for rotating the trainable device to rotate the latter by an amount equal to the change in bearing of said carrier but in the opposite sense whereby the true bearing of the trainable device is maintained constant, a stationary ring bearing compass graduations, a disc member having bearing graduations, means for rotating the disc member relative to said ring in accordance with changes in bearing of said `carrier to indicate true bearing, a rst pointer rotatable with said trainable device over said ring and disc member to indicate respectively both the true bearing of said trainable device and its bearing relative to that of said carrier, and a second pointer in geared ratio with and rotatable by said manual control member over said disc member to indicate a predetermined angle of rotation of said device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the control member included in the means for rotating the trainable device in azimuth to a selected true bearing comprises a manually operable hand Wheel.

J. WARREN HORTON. ROBERT A. WAGNER.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name YDate 1,215,425 Sperry Feb. 13, 1917 1,296,439 Sperry Mar. 4, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 594,563 France June 27, 1925 

